Employment (B class) development 2011/2012 - 2018/2019

London Development Database

The primary source of the council’s development data is the London Development Database (LDD). Although the LDD is owned and managed by the Greater London Authority, it is the responsibility of the borough to input the correct data about planning applications approved within their boundaries.

Boroughs are required to record information about all planning permissions on the LDD which do one of two things. As a result of an approved planning application, this is where there is either:

• a net change in the number or type of residential units on a site, or
• a net change of 1000sqm or more of non-residential floorspace

It is at the discretion of the boroughs to include applications where there are net changes of non-residential floorspace below 1000sqm. Generally data officers at Southwark Council record smaller schemes to provide more effective monitoring data however it may not capture every small site (particularly if no housing was proposed). The data provided below is therefore given in terms of schemes with a threshold of over 1,000sqm (mandatory data) and over 0sqm (including some voluntary data).

It must be caveated that the threshold of over 0sqm figures may not be a wholly accurate reflection of smaller scale changes in non-residential floorspace. Therefore, interpreting LDD data when using smaller amounts of non-residential floorspace should be done with caution.

Use Class B1 is included on LDD and it is possible to record B1a, B1b and B1c uses within this category. The following tables include B1b and B1c data however it must be noted this data is incorporated into the overall B1 figure. For example the data may show an overall net loss in B1c floorspace however on an individual application level it may have been replaced by B1a floorspace.

Prior to 2011 and the adoption of the Core Strategy, some large planning applications significantly changed the function and character of Southwark’s Central Activity Zone (CAZ). For example in 2009 the last phase of More London (Tooley Street/riverside) was completed which added over 50,000sqm net increase of office floorspace to the borough. In 2013, the Neo Bankside scheme was completed (permitted in 2006) which changed the Bankside Industrial Estate to a residential/mixed use scheme behind the Tate Modern.

Page last updated: 19 December 2019